(CNN) - The CNN Political Ticker is live blogging the CNN Southern Republican Debate in Charleston, South Carolina. Check here for live updates throughout the event and be sure to follow @PoliticalTicker, @CNNPolitics and use #CNNDebate.

9:44 p.m. ET - Paul said as a doctor, he had strong views on when life begins. Said Republicans should be looking at funding of abortions.

9:44 p.m. ET - @LisaDCNN: CROWD SCREAMS: For Ron Paul to get to talk about the abortion debate as John King about to move on. Someone near me: "let the doctor speak!"

9:43 p.m. ET - Audience booed when Paul wasn't asked about abortion. Paul was given a chance to answer.

9:41 p.m. ET - Romney defended record as pro-life governor. Said his record is solid. Gingrich said as speaker he passed bill ending partial birth abortions.
9:40 p.m. ET - Santorum said Gingrich had pushed social issues to the back burner.

9:38 p.m. ET - Romney said health law did not pay for abortions. Said his integrity was being questioned.

9:32 p.m. ET - Romney said he had been consistent on immigration, and that he actually agreed with Santorum on the importance of enforcing immigration laws.

9:30 p.m. ET - @DLoesch: Someone give Santorum a picture book of Gingrich's immigration answer, because it flew over his head. Disingenuous.

9:29 p.m. ET - Santorum said Romney had changed his position on immigration. Said Gingrich's position on illegal immigration was the same as President Obama's. Said, "If you want to be an American, the first thing you should do is respect our laws and obey our laws."

9:27 p.m. ET - Romney said illegal immigration was not a tough issue. He said America should build a fence, and ensure employers verify workers' immigration status.

9:25 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he would establish English as the official language of the United States. Said he would modify visa system. Gingrich said he would make process of deportation faster and easier. Gingrich also lauded his "guest worker" plan.

9:24 p.m. ET - Question from the audience: How would you deal with illegal immigration?

9:23 p.m. ET - Paul said he would work on his delivery. Said he might speak a little slower. Said he would continue with his message.

9:21 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he would skip first 3 months of his campaign and begin with an internet-based operation.

Romney said he would "work to get 25 more votes in Iowa."

Santorum said he "wouldn't change a thing." Said being in the final four was an amazing achievement.

9:21 p.m. ET - Question: What is the one thing you would do differently in this campaign?

9:15 p.m. ET - @AriFleischer: I get the sense Romney and Newt pandered on SOPA. Santorum gave the most thoughtful answer.

9:13 p.m. ET - Paul said he was glad the bill has stalled in Congress. Said Republicans had frequently been on the wrong side of the issue. Santorum said property rights should be respected, but that the legislation had gone too far.

9:13 p.m. ET - Gingrich: "I favor freedom." Said large companies shouldn't dictate what Americans can do on the internet. Romney said the bill was far too intrusive, and would have a negative impact on the tech industry.

9:09 p.m. ET - Paul said we needed to look at the reasons companies are sending jobs overseas. Said Apple was a good company that still employs thousands of Americans.

9:07 p.m. ET - Santorum said under his plan, Apple would get large tax incentives if they brought jobs back to the United States.

9:06 p.m. ET - Question: Apple has thousands of workers in China. What would you do about that?

9:04 p.m. ET - Romney said he would "maybe" release a few years of his income tax returns, as his father George Romney did when he ran for president. Audience booed. Said he wouldn't apologize for being successful.

9:02 p.m. ET –Gingrich said if Romney had something damaging in his tax returns, he should release them before the general election. Santorum said his tax forms were at his home, and he would release them when he was able to retrieve them.

8:59 p.m. ET - Question from audience: When will you release your tax returns? Gingrich said "an hour ago." Paul said he has no intention of releasing his tax returns, saying he has so conflicts of interest. Romney said he would release his in April when the most up-to-date forms are available.

8:58 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he went back to Ronald Reagan playbook when he was House speaker. Said Romney did very well under rules he put in place. Romney said when he was a businessman he pleaded for Washington to get out of the way.

8:53 p.m. ET - Santorum said he knew Gingrich's leadership style from his time in the House. Mentioned ethics charges against Gingrich, and said that Gingrich had "an idea a minute."

8:52 p.m. ET - Gingrich defended his record. Listed off achievements made during his time as House Speaker. Cites job creation, balanced budgets. Said "We need leadership prepared to take on big projects."

8:49 p.m. ET - Santorum reacted to Gingrich's claim that he wasn't ready for something on the scale of the presidency. Santorum said his success in Iowa and New Hampshire were evidence of his staying power. Said Gingrich's claims "were not cogent thoughts." Said Gingrich had "worrisome moments when something's going to pop."

8:41 p.m. ET - @SamFeistCNN: We will ask @speakergingrich about his tax returns next on the #CNNDebate.

8:40 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he led the opposition to HillaryCare when he was in the House.

8:39 p.m. ET - Newt Gingrich's campaign released 2010 tax documents during the CNN debate, reporting $3,142,066 adjusted gross income and paying approximately 31 percent of that amount in federal taxes, or $994,708. Mitt Romney, much of whose income is understood to be from investments and taxed at a lower rate, said on Tuesday his effective tax rate is "closer to the 15 percent rate than anything," and suggested he would release his documents in April.

8:38 p.m. ET - Romney defended the Massachusetts health care law, said people in the state were better off.

8:38 p.m. ET – @jimacostacnn: Santorum on Romney and Gingrich supporting an indiv mandate: These are two folks who don’t present the clear contrast that I do.

8:36 p.m. ET - Santorum said Gingrich was for an individual health care mandate. Said Romney and Gingrich were "playing footsies with the left."

8:35 p.m. ET - Santorum used the Obamacare question to go after Romney for his role in the Massachusetts health care law. Said the law was a model for Obamacare.

8:34 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he thought it would be possible to completely repeal Obamacare. Said he didn't trust Congressional staffs to pick through bill to repeal separate parts.

8:33 p.m. ET - Romney: we have to go after complete repeal. Said he would replace with new bill that offers health care through a market.

8:30 p.m. ET - Question from the audience: Do any of the candidates believe Obamacare can be repealed in its entirety?

8:28 p.m. ET - Romney said veterans benefits should be handled at the state level.

8:27 p.m. ET - Santorum said Obama had cut benefits for veterans, said veterans should be given preference for jobs by employers.

8:25 p.m. ET - Paul said veterans more medical help when they return from war.

8:24 p.m. ET - Question: Should the federal government take steps to lower unemployment among veterans?

8:21 p.m. ET - Santorum said we need to talk about how to get people back to work in the manufacturing sector. Said we need to give manufacturers a leg up.

8:20 p.m. ET - Romney responded to Bain criticism, said "capitalism works." Listed companies he said were successful when taken over by Bain Capital.

soundoff(1,288 Responses)

Pam

I want to applaud Mitt Romney about his answer to his tax return. I only wish he would reply, "It took Barack Obama 3 years to show his birth cetificate so I guess the country can wait until April to see Romney's tax return! I think it is a shame that the moderator's try to pit the candidates against each other instead of letting them tell the people what Obama is doing wrong in his leadership and what they would do to make it better!!

January 19, 2012 09:29 pm at 9:29 pm |

Matt S.

@ Santorum: Regarding our 2nd Amendment rights, what is your stance on gun laws and our right to bare arms? In the past you have been a little indecisive. Throughout history Americans have used weapons for recreation of course, but more importantly, a way of putting food on the table. As president, what would you do to protect our 2nd Amendment rights?

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

Felix

Romney and illegal immigration; he has no creditability on the issue.

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

Kathryn Rickard

Sorry that Newt didn't like the question about his second marriage. As a Christian and looking for a righteous candidate and eventually President of the United States, I would like to hear his answer. I know what his wife has said about his adultery. I am looking for someone who can be a hero for our county. If he can answer the first question and be a hero. I will listen.Thank you.

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

harrisonhits2

If one of these corrupt potential candidates has their mouth open lies are coming out. I look at this group and 5 words come to mind – morons, psychopaths and mental defectives.

Not that the Dems are much better as both parties are utterly and totally corrupt. They are both owned by the corporations and the only concern of any candidate is their own enormous greed and that of their corporate owners.

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

OurCommonBond=FREEDOM

Ron Paul makes me proud to be an American. We can either embrace the constitution or shed the constitution. cant have both. The only candidate speaking truth is the same candidate thats recieved more military campaign money than any other candidate...combined. that isnt a talking point...this is something that should be up front and center. our military personnel deserve a president that will hold them in the highest regards and not use them as pawns to police the world.

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

rod

The USA has created a drug culture litiginous society with empowerment and greed (government, insurance, pharmaceutical} vs enslavement (medical profession). If elected how would you elevate the practice of true and genuine health care?

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

Bill Yang

Great debate! I do have a burning question now: today we saw again once a great American company-Eastman Kodak-a great American icon, went bankrupt. My question to the candidates is this: if elected, how would you help to keep and boost our competitiveness and readiness for the future?

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

Natalie

Santorum is a bit of a smart aleck when it comes to Mitt-en isn't he?

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

William

I think Mitt and Newt , or Rick and Mitt, or Rick and Newt need to partner up , any of these possible duos would be good because they would balance each other and create one very strong campaign team giving the repulicans a formidable chance of getting obama out of office and strengthen the repulican party tremendously thye all need to spend more time expalining why obama needs to go and less time tearing each other down. like Mitt said any one of the four yes even ron paul would be a better president than the one we have now

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

Rath Anderson

Please please please ..... we don't have a tax problem, we have a spending problem. Congress and the POTUS should be directed to obey our constitution.

January 19, 2012 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

Tami

I live in Southeast Kansas. My husband and I are both full time students. I am the only one working. My husband has been looking for work for two years now. We don't qualify for public assistance because in order to recieve assistance you "must" work 20 hours a week if you are a student however if you are not a student you must be "available" to work 40 hours a week. We are barely getting our bills paid, have no car and make less than $15,000 a year. How are you going to help people in the same situation my family is in.

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

anthony

how many pilgrims came here legally?

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

Christopher Bentley

Shut up about China's military. I served in the Special Operations Community. China's aircraft carrier is made of steel from left over Soviet projects. We still have by FAR the best military in the world. We need to bring them home to be the Dept. Of Defense as the title states! We as a nation need to stop worrying about China's military and more about their economic power over us! Who is going to stop our borrowing from the rest of the world to give money to the rest of the world?

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

marc

Mr rommy is a fraud, and the other three are letting him brainwash them with his sorry excuses.

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

deven defontaine

this question is for gingrich what would you do with the problems we having with the iranians??

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

Marc

Newt Gingrich had no problem using third party, hearsay information to deride Bill Clinton, lead the action in the impeachment of Clinton, and work to remove Clinton from office over an extramarital affair at the exact same time he was involved in an extramarital affair himself. It was fair game then, but suddenly, when he is the center of the issue, it is "despicable".

There is only one word to describe Gngrich – HYPOCRITE!

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

Rayfinn

Question for Gingrich. You have released taxes, fine. Now release the "historical advice" that you received our tax dollars for to the tune of 1.5-1.8 million dollars. That is part of your record that must be made public. Do you agree?

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

Anonymous

Any astute individual should commend Romney for his success. Those who don't must not understand business, capitalism and the American way.

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

Arthur Davis

Question for any candidate: What do the words "without enumeration" in the 16th Amendment mean? Is a progressive tax system constitutional? How can one reconcile a progressive tax with the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

Justin R

How do the candidates stand on the issue of Global Warming and what will they do for cleaner energy?

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

James Bolton

The relationship between the US and China will play a key role in the 4-6 years of economic growth of our country. If we do nothing with the rules in place right now we will have a hard time turning around the economy. Should we set in place higher cost for China to export their goods to the United States until they make it more reasonable for our goods to be imported by them?

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

Uthor

Newt, guys in jail also claim that they found god and should be forgiven for everything...

January 19, 2012 09:31 pm at 9:31 pm |

Javier

Need to ask this question!!!!!! This will create a buzz. "What canadaite on the current stage would you have as VP?"